There are many reasons to remake or remaster a proven video game, but there is a limit to how many remakes and remasters of Sony Horizon Zero Dawn remake or remaster must exist, or SIE wouldn’t be going to the trouble and expense of making it; and for new or differently-abled players, the remake/remaster may indeed be welcome. But for other, long-term devotees of the PlayStation and its games, the remake/remaster of yet another familiar title feels frustrating and redundant. Bored by repeats and asked to pay full price for a game that came out just five years ago? The cost of another remake is high, both literally and figuratively, and veteran players may refuse to bear it.
Does Horizon Zero Dawn Need A Remake?
Originally released for the PS4 in 2017, Horizon Zero Dawn is an action-RPG developed by Guerrilla Games and published by SIE. Players control Aloy as she ventures through a post-apocalyptic world filled with voracious mechanical monsters, trying to unravel the mystery of who she is and what happened to her world. Equipped with legendary weapons and armor in Horizon Forbidden West and Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy is an excellent hunter, warrior, and mechanic, and a thrilling protagonist. Since its release, the game has sold some 20 million copies, making it one of the best-selling PS4 games of all time.
Such success is surely a factor in SIE’s decision to remake/remaster the game (the full extent of the re-release has not been announced at the time of writing). With that many players out there who have never experienced Horizon Zero Dawn in all the visual glory of the PS5, and having recently played the sequel in that format, there are likely more than enough players willing to pay a to (re)play the original on modern tech. The remake/remaster is said to contain visual and sound upgrades that bring it up to par with the sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, including new character models, animations, better textures, and improved lighting, which could enhance continuity by showing how Aloy's character changed from Horizon Zero Dawn.
Gameplay improvements are said to contain unspecified quality of life enhancements that were included in the sequel. Perhaps most importantly, the remaster/remake will also include accessibility options that were also part of the sequel but not included in the original game. There are also rumors that an online, multiplayer spinoff of the Horizon series may be forthcoming, though whether that will be part of the remake/remaster or something entirely separate has yet to be confirmed.
For those to whom such things can determine their ability to enjoy a game (and for those who want a fix to the biggest Horizon Zero Dawn problem, which Forbidden West failed to address), a remake/remaster will surely be welcome. For others, the upgraded game will be of little interest, especially if it follows the pricing model used for TLOU Part 1 and sells for the same full retail price as an entirely new game. That pricing adds to SIE’s motivation to revisit a proven title - even a full remake costs less to develop than an entirely new game, and profit is augmented if both sell for the same retail price. But there are other, hidden costs to players, including those who choose not to buy the remake/remaster.
Old PlayStation Titles Trade Creativity For Technical Splendor
Again, there are many good reasons to remake/remaster a game. Remakes preserve older titles for history and use new technology to improve titles that didn’t achieve their full potential on an older platform (as was done with FF7 and its better Japanese voice acting). Remakes can expose new audiences to familiar games, especially if the games being remade are older classics that can’t be played on current consoles. And fans of remakes can enjoy old stories with the most up-to-date visuals, sounds, and refresh rates.
But what is not measured in any of this is what is being sacrificed in exchange for the current onslaught of familiar, profitable remakes and remasters. There are still thousands of new titles released each year, so there is no shortage of video games to play, on PlayStation and elsewhere. But how many of those games are actually good, and worth the investment players must make in order to play them? If the best studios and publishers are over-invested in niche markets and remakes, where can players look for the best, most original content? Why not a Horizon Forbidden West sequel, a Forbidden Dawn prequel, or something else new, rather than a return to well-trodden ground? As much as players might enjoy re-exploring a familiar world with beloved characters, people play video games for the discovery, the challenge, and the excitement of the new. With each old game that Sony and PlayStation remake, one more new discovery may be shelved, one new challenge abandoned, and players can only hope they will eventually see the light of day. That might be something worth paying full price for.
Sources: MP1st, VGC, Hermen Hulst/Twitter
